Happy Bloggiversary!


4 years ago on October 20, 2007, I took the leap and started my online jewelry blog.  I decided to just jump in, head first. All the cool kids were doing it. They were blogging, they were talking to an online audience about jewelry design, about their lives, their kids, their pets, their accomplishments, their struggles.
I remember thinking to myself back on that day, who the hell is going to want to read what I have to say?  But instead of thinking it was for the readers, I decided it was going to be for me, too. A place I could journal and if people found it, cool. If not, cool. I blogged for months before I started getting comments. I just kept at it. Finding topics to talk about in the beginning was tough at first but my love of art, Etsy, crafts, handbags, and then bead artists- I was not at a loss for topics like I thought I might be.
Slowly I started getting comments. I started creating relationships and friendships with readers. I started reading more and more blogs. I tried keeping it fresh, finding new artists and doing interviews with them on a blog that not many people knew about.  I shared beads and tips, and did a few video tutorials. I learned more and more about my camera. My love of photography blossomed and I began taking better pictures of my jewelry. Jewelry started selling. Customers started reading my blog.

FOUR years flew by and here I am, still blogging. Yesterday I reached a large milestone that I am quite proud of. 1000 followers.  People are actually reading what I have to say. And they come back. Every day!?! How amazing is that! I keep wondering how I got to this point in my jewelry career. But my friends remind me. I worked hard.  I am here because I worked hard to get here. It didn't just happen overnight. I sometimes forget because creating jewelry is what I love. And I hope that shows here.

I just want to thank you for coming to this place, Lorelei's blog. Thank you for following it and coming back on a weekly basis, or a monthly basis or a daily basis or an hourly basis. Whatever it is, that keeps you coming back-  I am happy you are here. Enjoying this place with me. Enjoying the passion for jewelry, beads, and artists, with me.  Sometimes I do not say it enough. Not because I am ungrateful, I just get caught up in my life. It's busy sometimes.  I want to be better at responding more to comments. I want to give more tutorials and share more knowledge and give more of myself to readers. I want to share my successes and encourage you all to work hard, and to create beautiful things. I want to say thank you, more.

I look up to so many different bloggers for so many different things. They all encourage me to be better, to work harder, to be more confident and live my craft. There is nothing more satisfying than knowing I've made some sort of difference. This isn't rocket science. I just make jewelry. I like to buy it, I like to wear it and I love to make it.  So thank you for being here with me while I do that.



Comments

  1. Congrats! I think we all have that intial thought - what if I write it and no one comes? Quite an accomplishment - here's to many more!

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  2. A wonderful milestone- happy anniversary:-).

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  3. I am so proud of you Lorelei.
    I am so happy that your blog was one of the first I found while stuck at home nursing my newborn daughter 2 years ago. I love visiting your blog and you have become a great long distance friend. You are an inspiration. I don;t know how you do it all!
    Here's to many more years of blogging!
    Cheers :-) -I just taught my daughter that, it's so cute.
    Shan

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  4. How exciting for you?! I will echo Patty above and say that I still ask that question. I was telling another blogger today that 1000+ followers seems so unattainable to me. I know you have worked hard over these last four years to grow your blog and your Etsy business. You should be so very proud of yourself! I know I am very happy for you. Should I bring Mississippi Mud Cake to celebrate this weekend? :D

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  5. Congratulations on a really awesome milestone, Miss Lorelei. If you love what you do, are generous and genuine, then people will respond in kind. Wishing you the best.
    Enjoy the day.
    Erin

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  6. congrats Lorelei! You inspire us all. I'll be happy to keep reading as long as you keep writing.
    Erin S

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  7. Congratulations Lorelei, I know you were one of the first friendly faces I encountered blogging. Thank you for helping me take the leap almost 2 1/2 years ago, hard to believe.
    See you Friday!!!

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  8. Congratulations!
    You were the very first blog I found and follow!
    I didn't have time to sleep let alone read a blog so I ignored them all until I started buying more and more from you and I thought hey, I really like this stuff, who is the person behind it?
    So I started reading your blog once in a while then more and more. It wasn't "work" at all to read and it is how I start my day everyday with my coffee before the world wakes up. (I am on the west coast so it is a perfect fit..you are up a few hours posting before I get there). So congrats again..you make it all worth while..1000 followers it AMAZING!! I will be happy with one!
    Cilla

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  9. Wow, what a great accomplishment Lorelei! Four years and 1000 followers!!! And it's all because of your hard work, great blog posts, gorgeous jewelry, and awesome personality. You are truly an inspiration to me.

    And even though I know I am older than you, when I grow up I want to be just like you.

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  10. Congrats Sissy! <3 I always read your blog whether I'm trying out blogging myself or not. You are wonderful at it! By the way, I decided to start my blog back up...again.. Let's see if this time it lasts. hahaha I hope one day I have a lot of followers!
    Love youu!!
    Frances

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  11. Cheers to your success Lorelei! If I had a glass of bubbly I'd raise it now. :D

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  12. Congratulations on having 1000 plus followers. I just started blogging in April of this year. I'm curious do you still get wide eyed when you see that you have new followers? I'm amazed and elated every time I check my blog and see that I have a new follower.
    Therese

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  13. Yours was the first bead blog I started reading and I always enjoy my visit. Thank you for being an inspiration to so many. I'm raising my glass to you!

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  14. It has been an incredible ride to witness. I remember when you were first starting out. To see you grow and carve out a niche in this increasingly saturated market has been a true pleasure. We've been with you on, along the ride, seeing some hard moments and being apart of some really joyous ones. It has indeed been a wonderful thing. And while it may not be rocket science, your passion for your craft has taken many of your readers to the moon and back.

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  15. I love your blog. You are such a talented artist. You generously share your creativity with all your readers. Congradulations. This calls for red wine and chocolate!

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  16. Wow! Congratulations on so many followers. You've definitely got a good thing going on here and it's something to be proud of!

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  17. Happy blogbirthday! I for one, am looking forward to what the next 4 years brings

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  18. Yours is a great and warming place to come! A Big Congrats to you! Youve worked hard your jewelleys lovely and you deserve the kudos you get back now...ox

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  19. Dear Ms L, happy blog anniversary - yours was the first beady blog that I cmae across and I really enjoy reading all of the beady and general life stories that you so kindly have and continue to share with us. Your passion for jewellery (aussie spelling!) design is wonderful, and many a time I wonder how you juggle it all. Please keep sharing with us. Vicki :)

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  20. yay! glad you are in blogland!

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  21. Congratulations to your anniversary! Your blog was one of the first beading blogs I started to read and ou are are real inspiration! Unfornately I am not very frequent on making comments, working on that! :)

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  22. Congratulations Lorelei for reaching this milestone! I'm almost at 200 and feeling pretty overwhelmed by that :-) I think it's fair to say that for many of us, discovering your blog and your jewellery was a big turning point. What I remember most about when I began reading your blog (probably 2008ish) was your generosity about sharing all the bead artists you used. Art beads were a totally new concept to me and I loved - still do! - finding all of these fantastic folk on etsy and beyond. Mainly through you! So, thank you. Your blog has always been and remAins a great place to stop by and hang out. You passion and enthusiasm for what you do comes through and you have a genuine and honest voice which keeps me coming back. You're fab! Keep on doing what you're doing.

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  23. Congrats, Lorelei! And it is so well deserved- you and your blog are so inspiring!

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  24. Anonymous8/16/2011

    A wonderful milestone Lorelei!

    I have become an absolute DAILY fan of both your writing and your jewelery. I sit here in another time zone and a totally different season checking your blog at the most crazy of hours. You are so generous with your knowledge, your praise and refreshingly yourself. Keep on writing and designing as you are an inspiration.

    All the very very best for the next four years.

    Jen from Sydney

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  25. You've inspired me for years! Thanks for sharing and congratulations for your amazing accomplishments!

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  26. It's been a true pleasure to read your blog over the last few years. Thank you for being here and sharing yourself with us.

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  27. congratulations on this milestone..i read your blog everyday..don't always comment..ohoh does that make me a Lurker..;-)
    you are an inspiration..

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  28. Yay you! I've been blogging for about that long too - and I have a measely 53 followers to show for it. I still love it though, and I also do it for ME, as well as for the rest. So whatever you do, however you do it - it's workin' for ya, girl!
    Here's to many more beads and blogs to come....

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  29. Lorelei! I want to open a bottle of champagne for you, make a toast, and then we could maybe get pissed together ... no what am I saying ... I do NOT promote excessive drinking ... of course not ... Let's salute and sip from our glasses in a slow gentle pace.

    Anyway, congratulations to you! So well deserved. You are a role model in so many ways, and a great inspirer.

    Thank you for everything!

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  30. Congrats Lorelei. I am always happy you are here. We are all so lucky you started this when you did. For me, you have been a great inspiration and a very human person to get to know. Thanks so much.

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  31. Congrats Lorelei, I remember picking up my first issue of Stringing and seeing your beautiful work in it. I told myself I would someday make it in to a Magazine like that. So far I have not. But you’re an inspiration to allot of us and I hope to see your work around for many years. Have a wonderful day!

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  32. Congratulations~your love for what you do shows through your beautiful work. Your generosity in sharing your knowledge and interesting finds is truly inspiring to me.
    Thank you for this place to come and be inspired~Eileen

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  33. Thank you for you fun and creative and generous spirit! You are fearless! Congrats and keep on keepin on, as they say!

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  34. Congratulations! And, here's to 1000 more followers! I have learned so much from you and all the other sweet people that we follow, and I appreciate you blogging so I can learn! What a milestone, I am happy at this point in my blogging that I have just reached the double digits, :) ya gotta start somewhere, right? Enjoy your success!

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  35. Congrats Lorelei! What a wonderful milestone! I truly enjoy reading your blog, it has always been inspiring! Enjoy your success..it is well deserved! :)

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  36. Congrats on having 1000 followers! I first noticed you while reading the bio's in Stringing magazine. The fact that you are from the Utica area caught my attention because my husband's family is from/lives there. But your designs kept me interested. Your jewelry is stunning, very unique! You have inspired me to think outside the box and that experience has been very rewarding to me. I have really enjoyed your blog postings and look forward to them! Thank you for sharing your world!

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  37. swopemelmel8/16/2011

    Congratulations !!! Yours is the first blog I ever read and all of the blogs that I now read come from your list. (with the exception of maybe 3 that stemmed from those others) Yours is always #1 on the list and a must read. Thank you for all the joy and wisdom you bring to us. Mel

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  38. What a wonderful post, Love! So sweet! Congrats on your milestone, you have worked hard and you deserve very minute of it. It's hard to believe it's been 4 years, huh? and I've known you 3 years out of those 4! So glad we met and stayed connected. So glad to have you in my life!

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  39. Thanks for writing this piece. I just started blogging and feel the same way you did way back when. It's encouraging to see how far you have come.
    Terri

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  40. Happy Blogaversary! You hold us all to a higher standard.

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  41. L- Your Call for Contributors was very close to the time that I started my blog. I had only found your blog when I discovered your call! It is so awesome how that all worked out! Your blog is one of the best out there in handmade jewelry making and you do truly help to hold us all to a high blogging and jewelry making standard. I don't always have the time to keep up with everyone's blog on a regular basis but I always enjoy popping in on yours as I know there will be something interesting to read and inspiring to look at! Happy Blogaversary and here's to the next 1000 followers! -Tracy

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